Oil well bomb closure



p 1940- w. Y. BLEAKLEY 2,213,685

OIL WELL BOMB CLOSURE Filed Sept. 30, 1938 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 3, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 1 on. WELL BOMB CLOSURE William Y1 Bleakley, Tulsa, Okla, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Zero Hour Bomb Company, T1llsa, Okla., a corporation of Oklahoma Application September 30, 1938, Serial No. 232,533

7 Claims.

This invention relates to closure members and more particularly to a closure for a time bomb, such as an oil well bomb, used in shooting oil wells, although the invention is not restricted to this particular use.

In the operation of oilwells it is customary to shoot a well by means of a main shattering charge of high explosive. This shattering charge is lowered into the well and a time bomb, containing a time controlled mechanism, a detonator and an initial exploder, is lowered into the well in proximity to the main shattering charge. These three elements are enclosed in a watertight casing and the timing mechanism is pre-set to operate at a certain time. Upon operation it detonates one or more blasting caps which in turn detonate the initial exploder. This shatters the bomb casing and detonates the main shattering charge in the well.

A bomb of this type must be water-tight and must be capable of withstanding the extreme pressures to which it is submitted when it is lowered into a well and submerged in the liquid. It is further necessary that such a bomb be provided with a closure which will prevent leakage of liquid when lowered into the well and pressure of a column of liquid applied to it.

A desirable object of a closure for a bomb of this type is that it can be tightened by hand. In the use of such bombs, the time mechanism is set in the field and placed in the upper portion of. the bomb casing. A hand operated closure therefore greatly facilitates the assembly of the bomb. In the present invention I have provided a bomb which may be assembled by hand, and which comprises an initial closure member secured to the casing by screw threads or other suitable means and a main closure member connected to thelnitialclosure member and being capable of a limited amount of relative axial movement with respect to the initial closure member. The main closure member is preferably so constructed that a suitable gasket may be arranged between it and a portion of the casing and, when the bomb, provided with this closure, is lowered into the well, hydrostatic pressure on the outer face of the main closure member forces it against the gasketto compress the gasket against the adjacent portion of the easing and produce a liquid-tight closure.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown several embodiments of the invention. In this showing: f

Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view through one end of a shell showing the invention applied;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 -2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view of the end of a shell showing another form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 5 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional, vertical view of. the end of a shell showing another form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral I designates a shell of the usual construc-" tion which is internally threaded as at 2 adjacent its open end. The threads in the end of the shell are adapted to be engaged by external threads formed on an initial closure member 3. The initial closure member is preferably in the form of a ring provided with slots 4 extending upwardly from its lower face. The initial closure member cooperates with a main closure member 5 having a portion in the form of a plate which is substantially of the same diameter as the casing and which is arranged on the outside of the casing as shown. At a portion intermediate the top and bottom of the main closure member it is reduced in cross section as at 6 forming a shoulder and groove 1 for the reception of a 2 gasket 8. This gasket rests against the end of the casing and the top of the casing is chamfered inwardly as at 9. The lower end III of the main closure member is further reduced in cross section to fit freely within the initial closure 30 member or ring 3. This also forms a shoulder II between the lower portion I0 and the intermediate portion of the main closure member. The reduced portion of the main closure mem-' her is provided with a transverse opening adapt- 35 ed to receive a bar I2 and this bar projects at each end into the slots 4 of the initial closure member. The distance from the top of the bar I2 to the shoulder I I is greater than the distance from the top of the slots'4 to the upper face of 40 ring 3. This provides a limited amount of play between the initial closure member and the main closure member. The bar I2 is held in position by means of a pin I3 inserted from the lower end of the reduced portion I2 of the main closure 45 member.

In operation the closure members are first assembled and then placed in the end of the shell, the initial closure member 3 being tightened by hand to form an initial seal. The engagement 50 of the ends of the bar I2 in the slots 4 causes the ring to turn when the main closure member or plug 5 is turned by hand. This tightening operation draws the upper face of the ring 3 away from the shoulder II providing spacelor addi-' 5i tional. downward movement of the main closure between the /chamfered edge 9 and the shank of the main closure nember thereby assuring addition tightness of the seal.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3

and 4 of the drawing, the construction of the shell is the same as heretofore described and gasket 8 is arranged on the end of the shellbetween the shell and the closure member in the manner heretofore described. The initial closure member is in the form of a ring I4. The reduced portion IU of the main closuremember is threaded at its lower end as indicated at I5. A ring I6 is arranged on the threaded portion of the main closure member and is adapted to be secured in any, desired position by a set screw ll. The bottom of the initial closure ring is provided with two or more notches 23 adapted to receive projections or lugs ll carried by the ring I6. The engagement of these lugs in the notches secures the two members against relative rotation and thereby permits the initial closure ring M ,to be tightened in the end of the casing by rotation of the main closure member 5. The operation of this form of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing. The ring i6 and the initial closure member M are of such size, as compared to the axial length of the reduced portion in of the main closure member, that when the ring 16 is arranged below the initial closure member I 4, the initial closure member does not entirely fill the space between the top of ring l6 and the shoulder II. This permits a limited axial movement of the main closure member, and after the device has been tightened by hand, the final seal is created by hydrostatic pressure in the manner heretofore described. By adjusting the ring IS on the threaded portion l5 of the main closure element, the permissive relative movement of the closure elements may be regulated.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, the main closure member, instead of being provided with an intermediate portion and then a reduced portion ID of still smaller diameter, is reduced from its greatestv diameter to the desired diameter of the shank 18 which is adapted to be received in the opening in closure ring 3. The construction of the .closure ring, bar l2 and associated parts is the same as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. This reduction of the closure member from its greatest width to that of the shank I8 provides a relatively wide shoulder l9 and between this wide shoulder and the end of the shell casing is arranged a relatively wide gasket 20. The operation of this form of the invention is the same as that described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

A suitable extension 2| may be formed on the outer end of the closure member provided with openings 22 for the reception of a suitable bail by means of which the bomb may be connected to a line and lowered into a well in the usual manner.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that each of the constructions disclosed provides a closure member which may be suificiently tightened initially b feature in an oil wel "bomb which is generally assembled in the field and at which time-tools for tightening may not be readily available. After the device has been tightened by hand and hand, This is a'desirable is lowered into a well, pressure on the outer face of the closure memberforms a fluid-tight seal.

The provision of means for permitting limited movement of the main closuremember with respect to the initial closure member allows the main closure member to be forced toward the top of the shell by the pressure and thereby compress the gasket 8 or 20 to make a' seal that is fluid-tight.

I claim:

1. A bomb comprising a casing having an open end, an initial closure element received within the end of the (Easing, cooperating means on the being provided with a transverse opening, a bar extending through the opening and projecting at each side, the initial closure element being provided with slots for the rec-eption'of said bar and to permit relative movement between the initial closure element and the main closure element, and a gasket arranged between the shoul der and the end of the casing.

2. A bomb comprising a casing having an open end, an initial closure element comprising a ring received within the end of the casing, cooperating means on the casing and the element for securing the element in position, a main closure element, the main closure element comprising a portion of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the casing and a shank of reduced diameter forming a shoulder. said shank being received in said ring, the ring being provided with a pairfof slots extending from the bottom, a bar carried by the shank having its ends projecting into said slots, said bar being positioned to permit relative movement of the closure elements, and a gasket arranged between the end of the casing and the shoulder.

3. A bomb comprising a casing-having an open end, an initial closure element received within the end of the casing, cooperating means on the casing and said element for securing the element in position, a main closure element having a por- 7 tion of reduced diameter received in the initial closure element, means extending from the re-.

duced portion of the main closure element and so engaging the initial closure element as to be relatively movable only axially with respect thereto and for a limited distance to retain them assembled and to permit a limited amount of-relative movement of said closure elements axially of the casing, the remaining portion of said main closure element being of substantially the same diameter as the casing forming a shoulder at the top of said reduced portion, and a gasket be tween the end of the casing and the shoulder.

4. A bomb comprising a casing having an open end and being internally threaded adjacent the open end, an externally threaded initial closure element adapted to be received in the'end' of the casing, a main closure element, said main closure element having a portion of reduced diameter received in the initial closure element,

means extending from the reduced portion of the main closure element and so engaging the initial closure element as to be relatively movable only axially with respect thereto and for a limited distance to retain them assembled and to permit a limited amount of relative movement of said closure members axially of the casing, the remaining portion of said main closure element being of substantially the same diameter as the casing forming a shoulder at the top of the reduced portion, and a gasket between the end of the casing and the shoulder.

5. A bomb comprising a casing having an open end, an initial closure element received within the end of the casing, cooperating means on the casing and the element for securing the element in position, a main closure element, said main closure element having a portion .of reduced diameter received in the initial closure element ,and forming a shoulder, the end of the reduced portion being threaded, a threaded ring mounted thereon to retain the closure elements assembled,

the portion of the main closure element between the shoulder and the top .of the ring being of greater dimension than that of the initial closure element-to permit relative movement only axially of the'closure' elements with respect to each other and for a limited distance, means for preventing relative rdtative movement of the closureelements, .the remaining portion of the main closureele ment being-of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the casing forming a shoulder, and a gasket between the end of the casing and the shoulder.

6. A bomb comprising a casing having an open end, an initial closure element secured within 'the casing adjacent its open end, a main closure element having .a portion within the initial closure element, means projecting from said portion and so engaging the initial closure element that the closure elements are movable only axially with respect to each other and for a limited distance to retain the closure members assembled and to permit relative movement of the closure elements axially of the casing, a portion of the main closure element being arranged without the shell adjacent the end thereof, and a gasket arranged between said portion and the end of the shell. v

'7; A bomb closure comprising a casing having an open end, aninitial closure element received within the end of the casing, cooperating means on the casing and said element for securing the element in position, the initial closure element being provided with diametrically opposed slots extending upwardly from its lower face, a main closure element having a portion of reduced diameter received in the initial closure element, a bar arranged in the reduced portion of the main closure element and extending therefrom on op- ,posite sides and received in the slots of the initial closure element to permit relative axial movement of the initial closure element and the main closure element for a limited distance and to retain them assembled andprevent relative rotational movement of the initial closure element and the main closure element, the remaining portion of the main closure element being of substantially the same diameter as the casing forming a shoulder at the top of the reduced portion, and a gasket between the endof the casing and the shoulder.

WILLIAM Y. BLEAKLEY. 

